Yoke and GPS Mounted Chart Holder

ABSTRACT

A chart holder is attached by a clamp to the yoke tube of an airplane and retains the chart between the yoke and the pilot&#39;s eyes and across his line of sight. In a second embodiment, the chart holder is attached to a mounting for holding a GPS unit over the yoke of an airplane. The chart holder again supports a chart across the pilot&#39;s line of sight.

The applicant claims priority from his provisional application bearingSer. No. 61/058,312 filed Jun. 3, 2008. The present invention relates toa chart holder for use in an airplane and in particular, to a chartholder attachable to the yoke tube of an airplane.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The pilot of an airplane must operate within a tightly confined spaceand must simultaneously remain vigilant to the airplane's surrounding asseen through the cockpit windows and to the airplane's instrument panel.At the same time, the pilot must be constantly aware of the airplane'sposition with respect to the underlying ground. Currently available GPSsystems provide pilots with exact positioning of the airplane, butnonetheless pilots must refer to charts and the like for informationwith respect to landing paths, takeoff paths, and holding patterns thatrelate to airfields that are visited by the airplane. To absorb theinformation on the chart, the pilot must divert his attention from thecockpit windows and from the instruments for several seconds at a time.A rapidly moving airplane may encounter a problem during those fewseconds and therefore it is desirable that a chart be retained where itcan be easily studied with a minimum amount of diversion of the pilot'shead and eyes.

Several efforts have been made to provide a stabilized or mounted chartholder that can be easily studied in the cockpit of an airplane. Amongthe most successful have been devices that attach a chart holder to thepilot's thigh. Such chart holders do not require an alteration to theairplane cockpit, yet retain the chart where it is easily accessible andwill not be misplaced or dropped as the airplane banks or otherwisemaneuvers. Thigh mounted chart holders, however, require that thepilot's eyes be directed so far away from the cabin windows and theinstrument panel that neither is within his peripheral vision. As aconsequence, a pilot employing a thigh mounted chart holder is at riskwhenever he consults his chart. It would be desirable, therefore, toprovide a stabilized chart holder that would not require alteration ofthe interior of a cockpit, but would maintain a chart in a elevatedposition such that study of the chart requires only minimal redirectionof the head and eyes away from the cockpit window and instrument panel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, the present invention is embodied in a chart holder that has acompressible clamp that can clamp around a cylindrical member of thetype employed for the yoke tube of an airplane. The chart holder furtherincludes a planar support against which a chart can be positioned and abracket that attaches the support to the clamp. In general, the yoke ofan airplane defines a plane that is generally parallel to the pilot'schest and not perpendicular to the pilot's line of sight when viewingthe yoke. The bracket therefore preferably retains the support member atan angle with respect to the clamp, such that when the clamp is attachedto the yoke tube, the support member is generally perpendicular to thepilot's line of sight when viewing a chart thereon. The device furtherincludes a spring clip for retaining a chart against the support memberand a light fixture attached to the spring clip, with the light fixturedirecting rays of light toward a chart retained against the supportmember by the clip.

To employ the chart holder of the invention, the clamp is attachedaround the circumference of the yoke tube and the support member forretaining the chart is retained in a position perpendicular to thepilot's line of sight. A chart retained against the support member bythe spring is illuminated by the light when the cabin is dark.

As an alternative, the chart table may be attachable to a secondarymember that is likewise attached to the yoke or yoke tube of anairplane. For example, the chart table may be attachable to a GPS wherethe GPS is retained by a clamp to the yoke tube of an airplane.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the invention will be had after a reading ofthe following detailed description taken in conjunction with thedrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a chart holder in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the chart holder shown in FIG. 1 attached tothe yoke tube of an airplane;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the light fixture attached to the chart holdershown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an end on view of the chart holder shown in FIGS. 1 and 2viewed from a position along the yoke tube as shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a pilot in a cockpit employing achart holder in accordance with the present invention attached to theyoke tube of his airplane;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a chart holder in accordance withanother embodiment of the invention in which the chart holder isattached to a bracket retaining a GPS unit that is in turn attached tothe yoke tube of an airplane;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged side view of the attachment of theparts shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the chart holder shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 9 is a second isometric view of the chart holder shown in FIGS. 1and 2;

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of the chart holder shown in FIGS. 6 and 7;and

FIG. 11 is a second isometric view of the chart holder shown in FIGS. 6and 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, 8 and 9, a chart holder 10 in accordancewith the present invention includes a compressible clamp having acentral back 12 from which extends a pair of downwardly directed springloaded clamp arms 14, 16 adapted to be compressed around a cylindricalmember having a diameter of approximately of one-inch, that being theapproximate diameter of the yoke tube leading to the yoke of anairplane. Bonded to the outer surface of the clamp arms 14, 16 is oneside 18 of a hook and loop type connector of the type commonly soldunder the trademark Velcro. Attached by one or more nut and boltassemblies 20 to the back 12 of the clamp is one end of a flexible stripof material 22 having on one surface thereof the other side of the hookand loop connector 23 that is complementary to side 18 such that afterthe clamp arms 14, 16 are fitted around a yoke tube 24 extending to ayoke 25, the strap 22 can be wrapped around the circumference of theclamp arms 14, 16 and attached thereto by the hook and loop connector18, 23.

The nut and bolt assemblies 20 that retain one end of the flexible strap22 to the back 12 of the clamp also retains flange 26 of a U-shapedbracket having a central portion 28 and an opposite flange 30. In thepreferred embodiment, the flanges 26, 30 of the bracket are not parallelto one another but define an included angle 32 of approximatelytwenty-five degrees. Retained to the second flange 30 of the bracket byany suitable means such as one or more additional nut and bolt assembles34 is a planar chart support 36 having an overall length suitable forretaining a chart at a desired orientation such that it can be read bythe pilot. As depicted in FIGS. 8 and 9, the chart support 36 mayinclude a central pivot 37 that allows the support 36 to be folded inhalf when not in use. Also attached by the nut and bold assembly 34 tothe second flange 30 is one handle 38 of a clip 40 of the type having apair of handles 38, 42 that may be compressed together to open a pair ofcompressible jaws 44, 45. Attached to the second handle 42 of the clip40 is an electric light assembly 46 that includes reflectors, notvisible, oriented to direct a beam of light across the surface of achart 50 retained between the jaws 44, 45 of the clip 40. A deflector 51on the light assembly 46 prevents light from being directed into thepilot's eyes.

In the preferred embodiment, the central portion 28 of the U-shapedbracket has a cutout portion, not visible, through which the handles 38,42 of the clip 40 extend enabling the pilot to easily grasp the handles38, 42 with his hand.

Attached to the central portion 28 of the U-shaped bracket, by anysuitable means, is a battery pack 52 for providing electric power to thelight assembly 46 through a flexible cable, not shown. The circuit thatpowers the light assembly 46 further includes an adjustable control knob54 attached to a variable resistor, not shown, for adjustably applyingpower to the light assembly 46. The control knob 54 also includes anon-off switch for initiating or terminating electric power from thebattery 52 to the light assembly 46. In the preferred embodiment, thelight assembly 46 is in the form of light emitting diodes capable ofemitting a maximum amount of light for the electric energy supplied.

Referring to FIG. 5, when the arms 14, 16 of the clamp of the chartholder 10 are snapped around the circumference of the yoke tube 24 andfurther secured by wrapping the strap 22 around the parts and securingthe strap 22 with the hook and loop connectors, the U-shaped bracket 26,28, 30 will retain the chart support 36 across the central portion ofthe yoke 25 at an angle that is approximately ninety degrees to the lineof sight 58 of a pilot 60. Accordingly, the pilot 60 can view a chart 50retained in the chart holder 10 with a relatively small angulardiversion of his head and eyes away from the window 62 of the airplaneor from the instrument panel 64. The provision of a chart holder 10 inaccordance with the present invention enables the pilot 60 to consult achart 50 while maintaining a forward view through the cockpit window 62and of the instrument panel 64.

Referring to FIGS. 6, 7, 10, and 11, in another embodiment a chartholder 70 is attachable to a retaining bracket 72 having a clamp 73 toattach a GPS unit 74 to the yoke tube, not shown, of an airplane. GPSunits that include a bracket 72 attachable to the yoke tube of anairplane are manufactured by Garmin, Ltd. of Olathe, Kans.

In this embodiment, the chart holder 70 includes a chart support 78. Asshown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the support 78 may include a central pivot 79that slows the support to be collapsed in half when not in use. Thesupport 78 should also be transparent so as not to obstruct the pilot'sview of the yoke and instrument panel behind the yoke. A clip 80 isattached thereto. Clip 80 is similar to clip 40 described with respectto chart holder 10 and includes first and second handles 82, 84 whichwhen compressed together open jaws 86, 88. One of the handles 82 isretained by one or more nut and bolt assemblies 90 to one end of thechart support 78 for retaining a chart 92 against the support 78.

Attached to the same end of the chart support 78 as the clip 80 is alower flange 94 of a U-shaped bracket 96. The U-shaped bracket 96 has acentral body 98 that extends approximately perpendicular to the surfaceof the chart support 78 and an upper flange 100 having one or moretransverse holes therein, not shown. To attach the chart support 70 tothe retaining bracket 72 of the GPS unit 74, one or more holes, notshown, are drilled through the retaining bracket 72 with the spacingsand sizes of the holes 106 suitable for alignment with the holes, notshown, in the upper flange 100 such that the flange 100 can be retainedto the retaining bracket 72 by one or more nut and bolt assemblies 104.

Attachable to the upper surface of the retaining bracket 72 by the samenut and bolt assemblies 104 that retain the chart support 72 is a secondbracket 108 having a lower flange 110 having transverse holes, notshown, therein sized and spaced to receive the same nut and boltassemblies 104 that retain the chart support 78 to the bracket 72.Attached by any suitable means such as rivets, not shown, to theelongate body 111 of the second bracket 108 is a light assembly 112. Thelight assembly 112 is similar to light assembly 46 and generates a beamof light 115 suitable for illuminating the chart 92 when retained in theclip 80. Like light assembly 46, light assembly 112 has a control knob114 for initiating and terminating electric power to the light fixtureand for adjusting the application of electric power to the lamp.

Electric power is provided to the light assembly 112 from a battery pack116 that is attachable by any suitable means such as a hook and loopconnector 118 to a lower surface of the bracket 72 retaining the GPSunit 74. A suitable cable, not shown, directs electric power from thebattery pack 118 to the light assembly 112.

In this embodiment, the two flanges 94, 100 of the first bracket 96 areoriented at angles 120, 122 to the central body 98 that retain the chartsupport 78 in an orientation that is substantially perpendicular to theline of sight of the pilot, similar to that shown in FIG. 5. Also, theflange 110 of the second bracket 108 is oriented to direct the beam oflight to illuminate the chart 92 that is retained by the clip 80 to thechart support 78.

While the present invention has been described with respect to a severalembodiments, it will be appreciated that many modifications andvariations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. It is therefore the intent of the appended claims tocover all such modifications and variations that fall within the spiritand scope of the invention.

1. The combination comprising a yoke of an airplane wherein said yokeincludes a yoke tube having a circumference, a chart holder wherein saidchart holder includes a removable clamp having opposing clamp memberswherein said clamp members are compressed around said circumference ofsaid yoke tube, a planar support member, a bracket extending betweensaid clamp and said planar support member for retaining said supportmember a fixed distance from said clamp, a spring clip on said supportmember, said spring clip removably retaining a chart against saidsupport member, and a light fixture on said support member, said lightfixture directing rays of light toward said chart.
 2. The combination ofclaim 1 and further comprising said bracket retaining said supportmember at an angle of approximately ninety-degrees to a pilot's line ofsight.
 3. The combination comprising a yoke of an airplane wherein saidyoke includes a yoke tube having a circumference, a GPS attached to saidyoke tube, said GPS having a mounting bracket, a chart holder whereinsaid chart holder includes a planar support member, a bracket betweensaid mounting bracket and said planar support member for retaining saidsupport member over a portion of said yoke, a spring clip on saidsupport member, said spring clip removably retaining a chart againstsaid support member, a light fixture, said light fixture removablyattached to said mounting bracket, and said light fixture directing raysof light toward said chart.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein saidbracket retains said support member at an angle of approximately ninetydegrees to a pilot's line of sight.